Fix Anytime Dining

Just got off the Ruby Princess. Since it was only a 3 night cruise we took anytime dining. We waited 65 minutes the first night and comparable the other nights. Princess does not check your cruise card or ask your cabin number to verifiy you belong in anytime. They also encourage making a reservation which defeats the purpose of anytime.

Here's the what the Princess site states

"*Anytime Dining offers a flexible dining experience – just like a restaurant would – and gives you the freedom to dine with whomever you wish, at your convenience between 5:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. in elegant, upscale venues."

My convenience?

Until they enforce the idea of not allowing people with traditional times to get in line for anytime dining, it won't work. However, that would mean telling some passengers that they must "follow the rules" by attending what they had signed up for. Won't happen.

And the fact is that some people come back late from a shore excursion, missing their regularly scheduled traditional dining if they are dining early. This has happened to us more than once. It's nice having the anytime dining available to us.

But it shouldn't be open season. If you know your shore excursion will end later one day, you can let both your server know and the headwaiter who can make arrangements in advance. If a ship excursion runs late, likewise speak to the Headwaiter. If you are on your own and miss your scheduled time, honestly, in consideration of your fellow pax, you should probably consider the buffet or at least off peak AD.

But it should never just be anyone who doesn't bother to go to their TD spot show up at AD. That's unfair to those who book AD, the folks at your TD table who may wait because the server doesn't know you are not coming, and the servers themselves.

On a side note, a lot of times the 3 days are used to give some crew downtime or shore leave and so any staffing issues are magnified.

And the fact is that some people come back late from a shore excursion, missing their regularly scheduled traditional dining if they are dining early. This has happened to us more than once. It's nice having the anytime dining available to us.

You are talking about a 3 night cruise with a different passenger base. Most probably don't care about traditional dining or rules. We have been on a number of short cruises from San Pedro and we ran into the same issues.

In August, on those nights when we were in port they dispensed with Traditional Dining. All dining rooms were open for Anytime Dining. This was listed in the Patter and our servers mentioned it the night before. Thus, no one who was on Traditional was taking a place in Anytime. There was no Traditional that evening. Also, the buffet stayed open late on those nights.

Never had that problem thank goodness.

Until they enforce the idea of not allowing people with traditional times to get in line for anytime dining' date=' it won't work. However, that would mean telling some passengers that they must "follow the rules" by attending what they had signed up for. Won't happen.[/quote']

 

I tried ATD and won't do it again. You should not have to wait In line because someone that doesn't belong there is in front of you.

Tony

The BIG problem: Princess allows those booked Traditional (fixed) Dining to have dinner in Anytime Dining if they wish to do so. :mad:

And the fact is that some people come back late from a shore excursion, missing their regularly scheduled traditional dining if they are dining early. This has happened to us more than once. It's nice having the anytime dining available to us.

I agree. Maybe they are giving consideration to those coming in late from excursion. Seems hard to control.

I agree. Maybe they are giving consideration to those coming in late from excursion. Seems hard to control.

But the point is that someone signed up for early traditional. If they then chose an excursion that interfered with their dining choice, they left themselves the options of the buffet or room service. They should not have the option of pushing out of the line someone who signed up for "anytime dining."

Princess' failing is in allowing those who didn't sign up for "anytime dining" to use those spaces. Perhaps there should be a separate queue--those who signed up for "anytime" would be seated first. If additional seats were available, they could be taken by those who signed up for traditional but showed up for "anytime" regardless of the reason. If those from who chose traditional got tired of waiting, they could take advantage of the other onboard options.

I agree. Maybe they are giving consideration to those coming in late from excursion. Seems hard to control.

It's very easy to control, require a cabin card which states your dining assignment and refuse to allow those that are traditional into anytime.

It's very easy to control, require a cabin card which states your dining assignment and refuse to allow those that are traditional into anytime.

But that's the stand that Princess isn't willing to take...as stated in my first post.

And the fact is that some people come back late from a shore excursion, missing their regularly scheduled traditional dining if they are dining early. This has happened to us more than once. It's nice having the anytime dining available to us.

Isn't it also nice that there are several other eating venues available for that purpose also.

Isn't it also nice that there are several other eating venues available for that purpose also.

Also for those who find the wait too long.

On the Star Princess last month they were checking cruise cards at ATD. Some put up a fuss after they were told to go to their assigned DR. I told them "thank you!".

On the Star Princess last month they were checking cruise cards at ATD. Some put up a fuss after they were told to go to their assigned DR. I told them "thank you!".

Yep they always checked on Diamond last year, not sure why everyone is convinced that Trad using ATD is the cause.

It's very easy to control, require a cabin card which states your dining assignment and refuse to allow those that are traditional into anytime.

Here's a big BUT! What if because you were only on a 3 day cruise the majority of the passengers signed up for anytime. What if everyone of those people wanted to eat at the same time. And what if Princess for what ever reason did not adjust any of their dining rooms to accommodate the larger number of Any Time diners. This is a discussion I had with one of the staff members on one of our 3 day cruises. It does happen. Like I said we had more anytime then Traditional. We also waited over an hour at prime time. Cruzsnooze do you know that those going to Anytime dining were from Traditional or was it just a large number of passengers wanting to eat at the same time. Princess standards seem to change when it comes to shorter cruises. Unfortunately :(

On the Star Princess last month they were checking cruise cards at ATD. Some put up a fuss after they were told to go to their assigned DR. I told them "thank you!".

That is good to know. I hope Princess does it on all their ships!!

Tony

Yep they always checked on Diamond last year, not sure why everyone is convinced that Trad using ATD is the cause.

Because they didn't check who belonged to anytime had to increase the problem on my sailing. Also if everyone reserves for 6 - 6:30 in anytime then those that show up at our convenience have an hour wait.

NCL never has a wait with it's all open dining so they obviously have it worked out perfectly.

We have come back too late to make our assigned seating time. We ate in the buffet, or on Lido deck. On some ships you can also go to Alfredo"s.

If you aren't singed up for anytime dining then don't "crash" it.

Just got off the Ruby Princess. Since it was only a 3 night cruise we took anytime dining. We waited 65 minutes the first night and comparable the other nights. Princess does not check your cruise card or ask your cabin number to verifiy you belong in anytime. They also encourage making a reservation which defeats the purpose of anytime.

 

Here's the what the Princess site states

 

"*Anytime Dining offers a flexible dining experience – just like a restaurant would – and gives you the freedom to dine with whomever you wish, at your convenience between 5:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. in elegant, upscale venues."

 

My convenience?

a) Do you know for sure that some assigned to TD were going to your AT dining room?

b) As with any land restaurant, if more show up "at your convenience" than the restaurant can hold, then some (or many) will be waiting. If almost 2000 people have AT, all it takes is about 450 of them to be in the dining room when you show up for the room to already be full.

Here's the what the Princess site states

 

"*Anytime Dining offers a flexible dining experience – just like a restaurant would – and gives you the freedom to dine with whomever you wish, at your convenience between 5:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. in elegant, upscale venues."

 

My convenience?

What I object to is making the playing field uneven for Anytime dining by allowing reservations.

Yep they always checked on Diamond last year, not sure why everyone is convinced that Trad using ATD is the cause.

Guess they have to blame someone other than all the other diners who all wanted to eat at the same time they did at tables for two. :p

There isn't anywhere that can seat every person at the same time. You have to realize that if enough people show up to eat by 6:00, they're not going to be able to seat anyone else until the first people who showed up are done at around 7:30. That's not Princess' fault, that's math. Just like at a land-based restaurant.